Wassup?

"Unified plan, as always."

Moya's crew, already testy after their separation from Talyn and ten days of chasing the ghost of a wormhole for John, find themselves further shaken (literally) by an encounter with energy parasites. Fortunately, that doesn't keep the DRDs from scooting to Moya's defense. Meanwhile, Scorpius is experiencing a few wormhole nightmares of his own.

Backstory

Moya has detected deepspace variances in the area, which could indicate that they're near a wormhole; John has been pushing the crew to find it.

Scorpius and his research team have apparently found (rather than created) a wormhole. The wormhole, however, is degenerating, and they have been unable to stabilize it; there is concern that their efforts may be delayed by the need to locate another wormhole.

Energy riders live in electromagnetic clusters; they are able to hitch a ride aboard ships passing through the cluster.

Being "tasted" by a rider can cause convulsions, spontaneous bleeding, and loss of consciousness; it leaves the subject with a strong, unpleasant odor. The experience of "lost time" may last for only a few minutes, or at least as long as half an arn.

Pilot wonders if Kaarvok did something to John, which is causing his body to break down. John is starting to wonder, himself, even to the point where he considers the possibility that he's only a "photocopy" of the "real" John.

The Peacekeeper research team sent (and retrieved intact) a prowler into the wormhole six times. There were no gravitational distortions, and electronics and biomass indicators were all within acceptable parameters.

The test pilot of the wormhole biological trials had "oscillation ratings".

Drillic was transfered to the research team at Scorpius' insistence.

Pilot's pulse can be checked behind his neck, in between the vertibrae.

Energy riders apparently become more powerful as they mature; the diseased rider is a child who will merely possess its host, while Tallip's power would destroy it. According to Tallip, the rider he's hunting could be in any one of the crew, but only Pilot is capable of sustaining Tallip himself; even then, he must slow the body down and calm Pilot, in order to maintain any semblance of control. While he is in Pilot's body, the crew has no control over any of Moya's systems -- Jool can't even open a transport pod.

According to Tallip, he must remain in a host body in order to locate and destroy the diseased rider. The rider will disease its host's mind, giving only desire and despair, and doing more damage the longer it remains.

Energy rider "group probes" could not detect who was the host for the diseased rider.

Energy riders' first law is to not hurt the [host] body.

Moya may not be able to vocalize directly to the crew, but she understands what is spoken to her through her DRDs.

Passage in the wormhole reduced a Sebacean pilot to steaming red jello, while leaving the prowler itself undamaged.

It takes time for an energy rider to learn its host's personal memories and knowledge.

John had a dog named Hubble, and lost his virginity to Karen Shaw at age sixteen, in the back of a four-by.

Jool had previously mislead the crew, with regard to how she came to be in a cyrogenic pod. She "found" a Noation gem mine, but was caught by the guards, and sold to Grunchlk. Her cousins became ill while waiting for her in a nearby village.

John once heard Pilot say he has a chamber where he has no sense receptors, underneath him: the starburst chamber, where the energy to enter starburst first coalesces.

Starburst energy can be used to detect the presence of a rider.

An energy rider can trigger sexual pleasure with a single touch.

According to the rider, Chiana is physically attracted to John.

Scorpius is injecting himself with something, under the corner of his jaw.

Braca was made second in command under Scorpius because he doesn't ask questions.

The Scarrans are planning a massive assault against the Peacekeepers, but have not yet struck because they fear the Peacekeeper wormhole weapons -- which do not exist. Scorpius thinks the Scarrans are starting to suspect the truth. The Scarrans are amassing armies, and by Peacekeeper estimates, outnumber their Sebacean opponents by ten to one. If and when they attack, the Peacekeepers will lose, unless they can obtain a superior weapon. The dire nature of the situation is why Scorpius is given so much free rein by High Command, to chase Crichton and research wormholes.

Remaining in a host body is evidently pleasurable to an energy rider; Tallip was unwilling to give up Pilot's body until John et al tricked him out.

It is possible to cause Pilot pain, by manipulating connections in the neural cluster on Tier Seven.

Moya has the ability to redirect some portion of her starburst energy into Pilot's Den.

Starburst, or at least the power part of it (as opposed to the navigational component), can be manually triggered without Pilot's assistance. The time from when the process is triggered in the starburst chamber, until the first blast coalesces, is only ten microts.

Starburst energy can be used to destroy energy riders.

Chiana seems to have experienced some lasting effects of her prolonged occupation; she can sense D'Argo's presence before he arrives.

Scorpius is experiencing dreams or mindscape visions, in which he attempts to force Crichton to reveal the secret of wormholes; they seem to be taking on a nightmarish quality for him. He has some variety of equipment plugged into the side of his head when he has these experiences.

Reactions

Questions

Why did John bleed when tasted, when the other crew members (so far as we know) did not?

Was John making an Abbott & Costello reference, when he ran through Moya's corridors, yelling "Abbott!"?

Tallip sure wasn't very eager to take any responsibility for any part of the situation -- even his own actions -- saying instead, "This is all the rider's fault." He also said that the younger rider was right, and that it was "perfect to stay too long" in a host body. Are all energy riders parasitic in this fashion? Or was there something special about Pilot and his multitasking nature that the rider found particularly seductive?

Why did John need to press the override panel in Pilot's Den? It was already established that starburst could be triggered directly from the starburst chamber; was the override necessary in order for Moya to redirect the energy blast into the Den?

How extensive are the aftereffects for Chiana? Is her new sensitivity specifically attuned to D'Argo, or can she "feel" other crew members? How strong is her ability?

What is the gizmo that Scorpius keeps plugging into his head? Is a part of his normal maintenance equipment, like the coolant rods, or a connection to the neural chip removed from John's brain? Is he asleep and dreaming, or wandering about on the mindscape? Does the chip place a neural clone of John in his mind?

Observations

The sequence with John leaning on his hand, just before he realizes that he's once again bleeding, was beautifully, and effectively, scored and edited.

Despite their annoyance at John for his wild wormhole chase, the crew seems to have resumed looking to him for leadership.

The crew, even while unsure about which of them is the rider's host, expresses surprising solidarity, with many protective actions: D'Argo and John plead on Jool's behalf as Tallip "tastes" her. Jool comforts Chiana after the rider leaves her. The entire crew rushes to Pilot's aid when he become unresponsive.

"All right, we don't understand the R2D2 crap, we're going to use the Star Trek system: one blink for yes, two blinks for no." This (along with Crichton nicknaming the DRD "Pike"), was a reference to the original Star Trek series episode "The Menagerie"; the character of Captain Pike was encased in a wheelchair-like machine, able to communicate only "yes" and "no" answers by means of blinking lights on the front of the chair.

Chiana tells John, "Don't be a tralk, they wouldn't have brought us down for no reason." This usage of the term isn't consistent with its previous contextual definition.

Gigi did wonderful work in this episode; her body language changed instantly as she moved between "Chiana" and "Rider" personas, leaving no doubt as to which character was responding at any given moment.

As Tallip decides to stay in Pilot's body, and John leaves the Den, the pull-back from Pilot by the camera was less than smooth. If this was by design, the technique wasn't terribly successful; it was rather distracting.

DRD Pike was an instant fan favorite, for his loyalty to Moya, his patience with John, his persistent attempts to keep Chiana awake and functioning, and his final martyrdom. If there's any way to repair the remains of the little guy, the crew had better find it.

It was nice to be so strongly reminded that Moya is a living entity, with thoughts and fears of her own.

Jool is clearly falling into the "doctor" slot on Moya's crew. John even calls her "doc" in the final scene.

Bloopers

Around the 42-minute mark, as Chiana dives out of the Starburst Chamber, the corner of the stunt mat she lands on is briefly visible.

Annotations

John: "Don't...look...look...remember the ship in the wormhole? I saw the Three Stooges, the broadcast."
Jool: "I'm with Miss Monochrome. Let's get the frell out of here."
John: "D, c'mon, man. Look, it's the Stooges." [imitates Curly]

Yet another reference to the lovable trio of numbskulls. Another reference occurs at the end of the episode (not quoted here).

Chiana: "Are you sure you bled?"
John: "Yes, I...I bled, you don't make some--...like a, it was a lake of blood, it was biblical!"

John's most likely alluding to the First Plague of Egypt, as described in the Old Testament Book of Exodus 7:19-21:

And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.

And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.

And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

D'Argo: "Crichton, calm down. You're tired. It could all turn out to be nothing."
John: "Nothing? I am bleeding and I have no wounds. So I'm either St. John of the Uncharted Territories or there's something very, very wrong with me."

Crichton is alluding to the Stigmata, which are incidents of bleeding from the same points in the body (hands, feet, forehead, and sides) where Christ had suffered wounds during the Crucifixion. Stigmata are one of the criteria the Church has used for determining Sainthood.

Chiana: "Why do you believe a word that thing inside of Pilot is saying?"
John: "I don't have to believe it, Chiana, but something made me bleed, and it made all of us shake like a sheep in Arkansas."

It's not clear what special connection, if any, sheep have to Arkansas (or why they would shake). But perhaps it has to do with the joke: "Did you hear that they've found a new use for sheep in Arkansas? Wool."

John: "Kiss my butt. If I'm Linda Blair, why am I tellin' you guys anything?"
Jool: "Well, it'd be the smart thing to do if later you need to appear innocent."
John: "I'm not that smart."
Jool: "I thought of that."

John: "All right, we don't understand the R2-D2 crap. We're going to use the Star Trek system: one blink for yes, two blinks for no. You understand?"

John first refers to R2-D2's method of making unintelligible (to humans) noises to communicate. The "Star Trek system" he describes is a reference to Christopher Pike, Kirk's predecessor as Captain of the Enterprise in STAR TREK. In the 2-part episode "The Menagerie", Pike was shown to be an invalid as the result of damaging exposure to delta rays. He could not move (he had a motorized chair carting him around), and could only communicate by a system of flashing lights: one flash for yes, two for no. Thus the nickname "DRD Pike" that Crichton gives the DRD.

idiomatic equivalent of earth: "I am sick of running to the end of the fekik." (secondary definition)

Heating Coil

mechanism for heating bathwater in Moya's crew quarters

Miss Monochrome

Jool's nickname for Chiana

Negative Shield

system used to protect a Prowler and its pilot in a wormhole

Noatian gem mine

Jool found one, and was sold to Grunchlk as a result

Oscillation rating

particular qualification a Peacekeeper pilot may achieve

Parsac's Bow, had it up to

idiomatic expression of aggravation: "I have had it up to parsac's bow."

Starburst Chamber

sensorless chamber below the Pilot's Den on a Leviathan, where the energy required for starburst first coalesces

Taste

the act of possessing a host body and examining it, by an Energy Rider

Quotables

"I am sick of running to the end of the fekik, just because he's got a balliun up his butt."
- Chiana

"I have had it up to parsac's bow."
- Chiana

"I'm with Miss Monochrome. Let's get the frell outta here."
- Jool

"Yes, I bled, you don't make some-- ...Like a, it was a lake of blood, it was biblical!"
- John Crichton

"Abbott!"
- John Crichton

[whirring]
"Hold still. Hold still and quit your whining. You know you got my blood in here. Can't have vaporized it all."- DRD Pike, John Crichton

"I am bleeding and I have no wounds, so I'm either St. John of the Uncharted Territories or there's something very, very wrong with me."
- John Crichton

"What if I have to piss?"
"Well, then, we will all urinate together."
"You promise?"
"Ugh."- Chiana, D'Argo, Jool

"You demanded my transfer here so I could master wormholes and create the weapon you desire. You did not transfer me here to wait for your permission as if you were my mother. It is now time to proceed with biological trials."
"Right, son. Well. Deploy him."- Drillic, Scorpius

"Anything strange happen to you guys?"
"I live on this ship, something strange always happens."- John Crichton, D'Argo

"You turn the ship around, head back to your cluster, we'll tell you where the rider is, and you two can play 'pick the friendly alien in your neighborhood.'"
"How do I know one of you is not infected, that this is not the rider's plan?"
"It's not, believe me. This plan is so bad, it has to be ours."- John Crichton, Tallip, D'Argo

"Pilot, put the claws away. We can function without Moya being perfect for a while."
"I can't stop. There are hundreds of little things not working right in her."
"I feel like I had a spiritual enema."
"Well, take a break, dude. Unless anybody wants to go look for the Three Stooges broadcast again?"
[hissing]
"That's a 'no'. Take the rest."- John Crichton, Pilot, Jool

Comments from Cast & Crew

Moderator: <mt6571> to <Moderator>: I observed that the costume/make-up characters are grouped in esp away from the non-costume characters. Is the reason - to reduce the affect of the appliances on the actors???? How long will the split eps will continue?

FrooniumRicky: grouped in esp?FrooniumRicky: oh, epsFrooniumRicky: (suggests FrooniumCheryl, reading over my shoulder)FrooniumRicky: We don't consciously do thatFrooniumRicky: Some eps call for more prosthetic or animatronic creations than othersFrooniumRicky: Some weeks we do try to give the Creature Shop a breakFrooniumRicky: But it depends more on the particular story than on production considerationsFrooniumRicky: Re the split eps: They will continue until they ceaseFrooniumRicky: ;)

Moderator: <CrystalMoon> to <Moderator>: We asked Lily what is was like writing for two Crichtons. How has it been for you? Is it harder with two?

FrooniumRicky: Well, only when we forget which one is real and which is the cloneFrooniumRicky: oopsFrooniumRicky: waitFrooniumRicky: That is NOT trueFrooniumRicky: Equal and originalFrooniumRicky: So we pretty much write 'em both just like we always haveFrooniumRicky: except, of course, that their circumstances are now differentFrooniumRicky: in some of the small detailsFrooniumRicky: i.e., Aeryn

Moderator2: <Busco> to <Moderator2>: Hello Tim, Was the starburst chamber a challenge to build, considering the lasers, lights, and whatnot that was included?Moderator2: Tim, I must say. When I read the script to "Losing Time," I had a vision of the starburst chamber in my head. And, when I saw the final edited version on tape, it looked exactly as I picttured it. How much does the script help you in designing the Farscape sets?

TimFerrier: Conceptually, the Starburst Chamber had to be Moya-esque but unique to anything we'd seen before.TimFerrier: How starburst occured was also subject to a lot of discussion...TimFerrier: I enjoy an enormous ammount of creative freedom and the script was very loose in its description of the starburst chamber.TimFerrier: I'm glad you liked it.

Moderator2: <Sqrrlgrrl> to <Moderator2>: Gigi, great job you're doing there. I love your ability to do the whole possession eps. "Losing Time" was awesome. Are we going to be getting any more backstory on Chi anytime soon?

Gigi: It's awsome to play with all you guys here today...thanks for comingGigi: HAve to chat to da writers about that oneGigi: IT was great to fool around with the possessedGigi: Got too play with yet another one of my split personalitiesGigi: :)

Moderator2: <stargatetravler> to <Moderator2>: Yo Gigi, what up? Looking forward to seeing you in Burbank again this year!! Out of the eps for S3 which one has been the hardest for you to do, which one the most fun, & which one your favorite?

Gigi: Hmmmm........Gigi: the hardest ep of season three has probably been the cliffhanger.....Gigi: we got the script....after we shot about three days of itGigi: So it is interesting...challenging and exciting...to try and figure out where your character is headingGigi: My Fav.....the pleasure planet was funky to hang out on for a while...Gigi: always enjoy a good milkingGigi: Green eyed monster....is stunning.....Gigi: up there with my favsGigi: The most funGigi: ......combinations of lotsa different eps....Gigi: BEing possessed...was good...and juicy....funGigi: Hate to admit it but play'n around with Jothee wasn't that bad either...heeehhhee.....Chi indulged though gi was fearfulGigi: :)

Moderator2: <FSFanatic> to <Moderator2>: Sheldon: Starting around "Losing Time", it looked like Tammy's makeup changed...slighty darker...or more "maroon". Can you tell me wether there was a slight change, or if I need a new t.v.?

SheldonWade: Check your tv!SheldonWade: I keep telling Tammy to stay out of the sun!